


You Keep Reaching Out (Then I'll Keep Coming Back)

by milky_haven



Category: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018)
Genre: 80s!Queen, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, M/M, Roger has a potty mouth, Roger is sort of oblivious with his feelings, Roger is very protective of Freddie, Roger loves spoiling Freddie, Roger wants Freddie to be happy forever, Roger would commit murder on every paparazzi if he's given a chance, This is pure fluff, but i can't say their name because that will spoil the entire story, even if he has to watch freddie being happy with another man, it's for the plot i swear, nobody mess with their kids i mean cats, only to the paparazzi, someone special is shipping them, something happened to one of the cats, sorry kitty, the cats are their kids, this is my fail attempt at being funny
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-04
Updated: 2019-02-04
Packaged: 2019-10-22 06:56:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,211
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17658101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/milky_haven/pseuds/milky_haven
Summary: Roger keeps forgetting that he is not actually dating Freddie Mercury.





	You Keep Reaching Out (Then I'll Keep Coming Back)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sjaak](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sjaak/gifts).



> I fucked up with the timeline here but this story is set in early 80s. This story is inspired when I told [Sjaak](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sjaak/pseuds/Sjaak) that the cats are literally the children of Freddie and Roger. Sjaak believed that the cats have their own designated bedrooms and seats in the dining table with their own preference meals. I 1000% approved of that. So I dedicated this story to Sjaak for having such a beautiful brain and always able to keep up with some crazy ideas about these boys that we keep throwing at each other. 
> 
> Unfortunately, the cats’ involvement in this story only covers 10% of this fic. This story is pure fluff about Roger being sweet to Freddie and… I am not going to spoil it further, the tags are already spoiler for this story. Go read the rest of the fic. Title is taken from _Light On_ by Maggie Rogers.
> 
> And one more thing, thank you very much to [hit_or_miss](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hit_or_miss/pseuds/hit_or_miss) for an amazing beta job! Other mistakes are mine.

-

-

-

 

Dominique just leaves him one day.

 

Several times, she’d accused Roger of preferring to be somewhere else every time they tried to spend time together. Roger admitted he couldn’t always be with her, and he had been too busy with so many things that he needed to do with Queen like concerts, interviews, photoshoots, and recording singles and albums. Their relationship had been strained for a few months already.

 

Now Roger is in his house, a few stuff belong to Dominique missing in the living room- then he sees a piece of paper and a pencil on the coffee table. It is just a _blank_ piece of paper. Dominique must be so fed up with him that she could barely write a last note. Maybe it’s a sign that there is nothing else to be said. They are truly over.

 

A weight that has been pressing on his shoulders just gradually lifts up. He silently wishes for her happiness, hoping she will find someone better and not an arsehole like Roger.

 

Roger throws himself towards the nearest sofa. Just an hour ago he was so utterly knackered that he could’ve slept while standing on his two feet, but now he feels wide awake and a little hungry. The silence in the house is deafening and Roger remembers how he is really alone now.

 

There’s a reason why he suffocates himself with girls. Honestly, he hates being lonely. Roger wonders who he could disturb at this hour of the night. The clock on the wall shows it’s a quarter past midnight. Brian is with Anita. John is probably cuddling with Veronica and their kids.

 

There’s only one person.

 

-

 

“Hello?”

 

“Fred, I hope you’re not doing anything. I’m picking you up to go to The Nag’s Head.”

 

“I already had my supper.”

 

“You can watch me eat.”

 

He hears Freddie chuckle at the other end of the line.

 

“What if I’m doing something now?”

 

“Then stop whatever you’re doing. Drop everything and accompany me.” 

 

“What if someone is with me right now?”

 

Roger rolls his eyes. If Freddie was _busy_ with someone there, he wouldn’t be picking up the phone in the first place.

 

“Is there somebody with you or is that Tiffany purring over your shoulder?”

 

Freddie chuckles more over the phone. It sounds musical to his ear. He would rather listen to Freddie’s voice for the rest of his life than be lonely in his house.

 

-

 

Roger picks up Freddie for dinner every night for an entire week. Freddie simply indulges him, without saying anything of Roger’s sudden interest in spending more time with him. They explore different restaurants and pubs together.

 

Roger remembers the old times of hanging out with Freddie, when they were still bright-eyed kids in their twenties and sold second hand clothes in Kensington Market. When they were still dreaming of being rich and famous. He feels a little nostalgic. But he’s glad that Freddie and him went through so much together to be where they are right now. Roger would do it all over again, through sorrow and success, as long as it’s Freddie who would always be there for him.

 

-

 

Freddie doesn’t ask him anything about Dominique. But Roger suspects that he knows, because there’s one time he drops by at Roger’s place before they go out for their dinner. Freddie notices the missing heel boots and lace sandals, and the absent of pastel jackets and floral scarves in the mudroom.

 

Roger waits for him to comment on something but Freddie merely grins at him as he throws one arm around his shoulders. “I’m craving something spicy! What do you think of curry for dinner?”

 

-

 

While waiting for the traffic light to turn green, Roger blurts out, “I know why Mary left you.” 

 

Freddie stays silent so Roger says, “You were having an affair with that American guy in the studio.”

 

Roger wonders if Freddie is upset so he glances at the man sitting next to him. There is a twitch of smile on Freddie’s lips. “Are you disgusted that I have a taste for men?”

 

Roger is relieved that Freddie is not angry or being cold towards him. “I’ve known about it. I’ve had years to accept you for being you.”

 

“What gives me away?” asks Freddie, his tone curious.

 

“Back when we were still sharing a flat, you always checked out my arse.” 

 

Freddie bursts into laughter. “I couldn’t help myself. Your arse is cute.”

 

Roger almost replies, ‘ _so is yours, but cuter._ ’ Instead, he says cheekily, “My arse is very pleased. Thank you.”

 

Then they both roar with laughter.

 

-

 

Freddie calls him at nearly four in the morning. Roger is a light sleeper and he easily wakes up when something’s making noise in the house. He feels concern when the phone is ringing, and hopes there’s nothing wrong with his parents or sister. But the moment he picks up the phone, his heart drops when he hears Freddie sobbing.

 

“Did something happen?” He quickly changes his pyjama pants into jeans and pulls out a clean T-shirt from his wardrobe. He nearly trips on the cord of the phone.

 

Freddie babbles something about Romeo but his words are mostly muffled with sobs and hiccups. 

 

Roger tells him that he is coming to the Garden Lodge, rushing so quickly to his car that he almost forgets to wear his shoes and lock the house.

 

-

 

Romeo passes away of old age. Freddie wraps Romeo with his expensive but well-worn Missoni’s scarf and Roger buries him in the garden, next to where the daisies are growing.

 

“He loved to smell the daisies.” Freddie tells him, while tears keep streaming down his cheeks. Roger wipes his tears and pulls Freddie to lean against him. Roger’s heart breaks a little for Freddie and for Romeo’s passing. The cat is Freddie’s baby. The apple of his eye.

 

After he’s done with the burial, he stands next to Freddie and wraps an arm around him. They both stare at the mound with the white and pink daises that he and Freddie had placed there. Roger thinks he should give a eulogy or something. 

 

“I remember how you found Romeo. He was a stray kitten that you like to play with behind the old studio that we used to rent. Then one day, it was raining so heavily that you stopped recording half-way through the moment you realized Brian came into the studio looking so soaked. You went out without saying anything and came in later with a tiny wet creature in your arms, and decided right then and there that you’d bring him home with you. You spoilt him so much that he ended up being the fattest and laziest cat I’ve ever known in my life. Romeo really lived his life to the fullest. He’s in peace now and is waiting for us in heaven.”

 

Freddie stares at him with red puffy eyes, tenderness in his gaze, with something else in those eyes that Roger is not sure what is. It makes his cheeks heat up the longer Freddie keeps staring at him. Then Freddie pulls him into a tight hug, and he hears a whisper like ‘thank you’ against his shoulder.

 

-

 

Roger calls Jim Beach and informs him to cancel their interview on one of the TV shows that Roger doesn’t bother to remember the name of. He then calls Brian and John and tells them of what has happened. After he’s done, he finds Freddie in the living room, hugging Oscar and Charlotte in his arms while staring at nothing. So he goes to the kitchen and fries some sausages and eggs. When he puts them on the plate, he realises that Freddie is already in the kitchen, watching him prepare the food. He smiles appreciatively at Roger.

 

Roger serves his breakfast first before placing his own plate across from Freddie. 

 

“Eat,” Roger tells him, and they have a quiet breakfast together.

 

-

 

After that, Roger decides to come to Freddie’s house with breakfasts a few times a week. Sometimes he cooks from his own house, sometimes he buys them from outside.

 

Freddie ends up giving him another set of his house key because he refuses to get up from bed early in the morning just to let Roger in.

 

“So you can prepare breakfast in bed for me,” jokes Freddie.

 

Roger smirks and plans to do so. A few days later, he brings a tray of full English Breakfast and pink aster flowers tied with a white ribbon to Freddie’s bedroom.

 

Freddie, who looks sleepy and soft, giggles in amusement and pulls Roger onto his bed to share the food. Roger feels so proud of himself as he watches Freddie tuck into his breakfast with gusto.

 

Freddie gently strokes the petals of the flowers. “Did you get these from my garden?” 

 

“I hope you don’t mind.”

 

“Do you know what aster is a symbol of?” 

 

“No.”

 

Freddie gazes at him playfully, “Love and patience.”

 

Roger smirks. “Well, I love you, and I have been very patient with you for the last decade that we’ve known each other.”

 

Freddie swats him on the shoulder with a fond smile on his lips.

 

-

 

Roger notices how Freddie is being more affectionate with him. Sometimes, Roger catches Freddie gazing at him as if he hung the moon and stars. Roger is not sure what to think of that. He thinks Freddie is a little lonely, just like Roger, who always feels lonely in his own big house. Roger believes that’s probably the reason Freddie always throws so many parties in the Garden Lodge.

 

Roger is driving and glimpses a pet shop on the corner of the street. He decides to get Freddie more cats.

 

He buys four Tonkinese kittens, refusing to let the two brothers and sisters get separated.

 

Freddie brightens up and coos at the kittens when Roger brings them into the house. He holds each of them and snuggles them to his face. Roger’s heart swells with something else as he stares at the endearing scene of Freddie with the kittens.

 

"You can name the two girls."

 

“Uh, no. That’s okay. They’re yours.”

 

Freddie merely shakes his head with an indulgent expression on his face. “No, silly. They’re _ours_.”

 

-

 

Roger names them Anastasia and Victoria. Freddie names the boys Gatsby and Rhett.

 

-

 

When they aren’t having dinner together, Roger calls Freddie and they talk on the phone for hours. Sometimes, Freddie calls him at three in the morning when he can’t sleep and Roger, despite feeling tired and sleepy, indulges Freddie and they talk about nothing and everything until Freddie falls asleep.

 

Roger keeps the phone next to his ear and lulls himself to sleep with Freddie’s soft breath. It feels like he is sleeping next to Freddie, just like in the old times, when they were sharing a flat and sneaked into each other’s beds during the Winter because the heater was not working properly.

 

-

 

Roger keeps forgetting that Freddie has a life that does not involve hanging out with him. Like right now, Freddie is preparing himself to go on a night out with some friends.

 

“Do you have someone to send you there?”

 

"Kenny is picking me up."

 

Roger remembers a guy who is as colourful and wild as Freddie. Truthfully, Roger finds him funny and his radio show is always interesting and different than the others. It doesn’t surprise him that Kenny Everett and Freddie seem to be in the same social circle.

 

“I can send you there.”

 

Freddie chuckles. “It’s a notoriously famous gay bar. Paparazzi might be there.” 

 

“I don’t give a fuck.”

 

Freddie looks at him through the mirror with dark champagne eyes. His lips stretch into an affectionate smile.

 

Roger thinks Freddie is absolutely beautiful.

 

He glances at the eye pencil in Freddie’s hand. 

 

“Do you want me to help you with that?”

 

Freddie looks surprised, and hands him the eye pencil.

 

Freddie sits on the bed and Roger starts drawing on his eyelid. After he finishes one eye, Freddie opens them and stares at himself in the mirror.

 

“Wow. You’re really good at this.”

 

“Clare always made me draw her eyes. So I had a lot of practice.”

 

“That’s nice. Kash never made me do her make up. She only allowed me to paint her nails.” 

 

Roger chuckles. “Clare said I’m shit with paint.”

 

"You can practice and paint my nails. Then next time you can show off your skills to your sister."

 

Roger and Freddie beam at each other a moment longer until Roger realises he hasn’t drawn the other eye yet. He tells Freddie to close his eyes and watches his long eyelashes flutter against his cheeks. Roger has a sudden weird urge to place his lips on them.

 

-

 

Roger has been picking up Freddie every time they need to go to the studio or anywhere that the band has to be. Surprisingly, Freddie always gets ready faster when it’s him that does the pick up. Brian and John tease that it’s a good thing Roger’s ended up as Freddie’s driver. Whatever. Roger is just happy to pick up Freddie.

 

Except today, Freddie seems to be late. He has to honk twice and catches Freddie waving his hand out of one of the windows. After waiting almost twenty minutes, Freddie gets in the car and immediately says, “Congratulations. You’re a dad to five babies. Tiffany just gave birth this morning.”

 

“I’m a dad?”

 

“Yes. And I’m a proud mummy.”

 

“Okay.” So it’s official- Roger is the father to all eighteen cats, plus five kittens, belonging to Freddie Mercury.

 

Roger frowns at him, “Is that why you’re late? You should’ve told me to come in and I could’ve helped you with them.”

 

“It’s alright. I was only searching for Tiffany and her babies. They weren’t in the East bedroom anymore. Tiffany decided to move her babies into another bedroom, the one with windows facing the fountain in the garden.”

 

As Roger expertly avoids the jam around London, the entire car ride is filled with him and Freddie listing out names for the new kittens.

 

-

 

It is in the middle of winter and Freddie forgets to wear his gloves, or at least mittens. Roger never found mittens fashionable, but they are warmer than gloves and he’s wearing them now because tonight seems to be colder than usual. They get out of the pub and he observes Freddie rub his own hands a few times, before putting them inside the pockets of his jeans.

 

“Your hands cold?”

 

Freddie shrugs. “Just a little.”

 

Roger reaches out and wraps both of Freddie’s cold hands in his, rubbing them softly. He rubs them a minute longer until he’s satisfied they are less icy.

 

He releases Freddie’s hands and takes off the mitten of his right hand.

 

“What are you doing?” Freddie looks puzzled when Roger takes his right hand and tries to fit it into the warm mitten. Strangely, Roger finds that Freddie’s hand looks adorable in the mitten. Without any hesitation, Roger holds Freddie’s slightly cold left hand with his own bare right hand.

 

Freddie’s cheeks flush red and Roger notices it immediately. 

 

“Are you alright?”

 

“People will stare.”

 

“They can go fuck themselves. Do you want to lose some of these precious digits and be unable to play the piano properly?”

 

Freddie giggles. “My fingers have survived London’s harsh winter for years.” 

 

“I’m not taking any chances.”

 

Besides, Roger finds it’s considerably warmer to hold hands with Freddie as they walk together. The streets are busy as people rush to go back to their houses, avoiding the cold temperature that seems to drop further the longer they stay outside. None are looking at them with their hands entwined.

 

-

 

Roger keeps forgetting to ask for his mitten or glove back from Freddie’s right hand. Freddie is to be blamed too, since he always fails to return them.

 

Well, it’s really Freddie’s fault for always forgetting to put on something warm for his hands when they are going out for dinner, or having drinks in one of the pubs.

 

It’s not a big deal to him until one day he realises he only has two sets of gloves and a pair of mittens, while the rest of the mittens and gloves are left with only the left side.

 

Roger feels an exasperated fondness as he imagines his right mittens and gloves at Freddie’s, perhaps being chewed by one of the cats.

 

-

 

“Aren’t you going out with Kenny and the others?”

 

Freddie shakes his head. “Going out every weekend with them is boring.” 

 

“More boring than wasting time with me?”

 

“I’m not wasting time. I’m spending quality time with you. Besides, Anastasia misses you.” Freddie picks up the one year old Tonkinese and puts her in front of Roger’s face. She meows at Roger.

 

Freddie says, “She wants a kiss from her dad.”

 

Roger plays along and kisses the Tonkinese’s little furry head fondly. Freddie is smiling warmly at them.

 

“Victoria, Rhett, and Gatsby must not be left out too!” Freddie goes to search for the other three Tonkinese around the house, while Roger waits and strokes Anastasia in his arms.

 

-

 

It always surprises Roger that Freddie can actually cook. Freddie’s served him something that looks like chicken stew. It smells mouth-watering.

 

“This is _Fesenjan_ ,” he tells Roger. He scoops a small portion from the bowl and blows it for a moment, and then holds it close to Roger’s mouth. Roger involuntarily opens his mouth, and lets Freddie feed him.

 

Whatever it’s made of, it is so delicious that Roger’s tongue is having orgasm.

 

Freddie looks at him with bright eyes as he tells Roger, “The Persians serve this dish at their weddings.”

 

Roger’s heart beats a little faster as his gaze holds Freddie’s. Then, Roger takes the spoon from between Freddie’s fingers, scoops a similar size portion, blows it a little and feeds it to Freddie. Something shifts in the air, something heavy but pleasant, like there’s a strange intimacy suddenly existing between them. Their eyes never stray from one another as they keep feeding each other.

 

It was the most interesting dinner affair Roger ever had in his life.

 

-

 

Roger keeps forgetting that they don’t need to hold hands anymore. But even Freddie hasn’t said anything about it. He’s so used to it that, despite the warm April sun shining through the glass windows of Oslo Court, Roger instinctively covers Freddie’s hand with his after he’s paid for their lunch, and they go to the door that leads outside of the restaurant.

 

The moment they step out of the building, some paparazzi start taking pictures of him and Freddie holding hands while walking to the car. Freddie tries to pull away but Roger keeps holding on tightly. The paparazzi are throwing questions at them, especially to Freddie.

 

“Freddie, are you dating Roger?” 

 

“Are you admitting you’re gay?”

 

Roger rolls his eyes and replies, “Go fuck yourself.”

 

“Freddie, have you been in a gay relationship with Roger all these years?” 

 

Roger replies with, “Go fuck your grandma.”

 

“What do Brian and John think about you two in a relationship?”

 

Roger snorts, “Brian and John definitely think you guys are a bunch of motherfuckers.”

 

And then Roger gives them his middle finger, with the other hand that isn’t holding Freddie’s.

 

When they’re inside the car and finally relieved of all the paparazzi, Freddie takes a deep breath and then laughs half-heartedly. “I can’t believe you actually did that.”

 

“Believe it, I would do it again.”

 

“Everyone’s going to think you’re like me now.”

 

“I don’t give a fuck about that. I’m a goddamn rockstar, I’ve had my cake, and I can have almost anything I want. I don’t bloody care about my reputation anymore.”

 

“I do,” Freddie murmurs quietly. A swell of warmness fills Roger’s chest. He wishes that he wasn’t driving so he could pull Freddie into a hug.

 

When they stop at the traffic light, Roger turns to grin at him and pats Freddie’s cheek. “That’s sweet of you. Do you want me to take you back home? Or should we get dessert somewhere?” 

 

Freddie immediately brightens up. “Ice cream at The Lamb!”

 

Roger laughs. “Only you would want ice cream from a pub.”

 

-

 

Everyone is in the studio and preparing to record Queen’s new album. Freddie is chatting with Paul, and mentions something about attending Elton’s house-warming party. Then Paul comments it has been a year since Freddie last had a party in the Garden Lodge. He suggests Freddie should hold another party in the coming weekend.

 

It suddenly occurs to Roger that ever since they’ve been hanging out together more, and having dinner together almost every night, Freddie’s stopped having parties in his house. Freddie’s parties are famous for being too wild, with the over-flowing of expensive booze and all the high-end drugs. Roger dabbles in getting high but he knows that shit wouldn’t lead him anywhere good if he kept taking them. He knows that Freddie snorts crystal meth more than he does. But it’s been more than a year since the last time Roger, and he believes even Freddie, has taken any.

 

Roger has great company, and is enjoying eating great food around London with Freddie, and when it’s one of his lucky days, Freddie cooks some Persian food. Roger’s favourite will always be Fasenjan, no doubt. Roger thinks the only reason Freddie is no longer partying is because he’s not lonely anymore. Except birthday parties. Roger will remind Freddie to throw one. Or perhaps, he should make a surprise birthday party for Freddie.

 

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. Charlotte gave birth recently, and now I have four babies only a month old- and they’re not so good with crowd.”

 

Paul laughs, feeling amused with Freddie’s statement. “You can lock them up in one of the bedrooms. They’re just animals, Fred.”

 

Roger thinks, _uh-oh_.

 

Roger watches how Freddie’s expression morphes into a cold, icy look.

 

“ _Animals_ , you said?”

 

Brian and John seem to notice something is going on, and stop whatever they’re doing.

 

Paul, who is always clever enough to read Freddie’s mood, seems to be off his game today and doesn’t notice the change in Freddie. He jokes, “Your obsession over cats can be a little unhealthy, Fred. They are merely furry, wild creatures that are domesticated by you. So yes, animals. What else do you want me to call them? C’mon, Fred. Don’t let the cats stop you from having a fun time!”

 

He roars at Paul, “How dare you? They’re my _family_!”

 

Paul pales the moment he realises his mistake. He tries to apologize, but Freddie is too far gone in his outrage. No one can do anything once Freddie is like that. It is a well-known fact among the band members that Freddie’s temper could outmatch Roger’s.

 

Paul gets fired after that.

 

It’s one of the best things that Roger ever witnessed in his life, and he shall forever relish that terrified look on Paul’s face.

 

-

 

A few months later, and a surprise birthday party that Roger threw for Freddie, he thinks that life is perfect. Their latest album, The Works, has been released and is already selling out like hot cakes in Britain and America.

 

They just finished meeting with Jim Beach to talk about how Queen will be doing some promoting for their album around Europe. He is driving Freddie to his house when he suddenly tells Roger, “I met a guy.”

 

He is unable to process the words until Freddie continues, “His name is Jim Hutton.” 

 

Roger swallows the lump in his throat. “And you’re telling me this why?”

 

“I can’t have dinner with you tomorrow.”

 

Oh.

 

Freddie has a date tomorrow night with Jim Hutton. 

 

Roger feels something shrivel and die inside him. 

 

“Okay,” replies Roger, albeit sounding slightly forced.

 

The rest of the ride is silent. Roger isn’t even sure how he can drive calmly when he feels like something is clawing out from his chest and throat.

 

When they finally arrive in front of the gate of the Garden Lodge, Roger shifts the gear of the car to parking, pulls up the hand gear and releases the clutch and break pedals. Roger keeps looking at the road in front of him until he realises that Freddie hasn’t even tried to get out from his car.

 

He turns to look at Freddie, and finally notices that the other man is already staring at him. There is something in his dark gaze, as if seeking something from Roger.

 

Roger hates himself a little and thinks that he should feel happy for Freddie. Whatever strange feelings that he feels for him is not important.

 

He reaches out and cups Freddie’s neck. A thumb strokes the skin under his ear. Roger suddenly has the urge to kiss Freddie right there and then. Instead, he tells Freddie with a wry smile, “Jim Hutton is going to sweep you off your feet.”

 

-

 

Roger keeps forgetting that he is not actually dating Freddie Mercury.

 

-

 

The next day, without the need to do anything, Roger basks himself inside his house. The house phone occasionally rings, but he lets it ring until it stops.

 

He eats water biscuits with brie. He drinks Chardonnay. He reads Brideshead Revisited. It belongs to his sister- she must have left it in his house when she came to visit Roger- and he feels slightly melancholy as Charles and Sebastian are obviously in love in the book while Roger is pining for his best friend.

 

If the date went well and Freddie has Jim Hutton in his life now, Roger wonders if he could take custody of Anastasia, Victoria, Gatsby, and Rhett.

 

-

 

It is a quarter past nine and there is a ring on the doorbell of his house. 

 

He opens the door, and is surprised to see Freddie standing there. 

 

“Roger.”

 

“Freddie.”

 

They stare at each other for a moment until Roger realises that he should invite Freddie inside.

 

Roger lets him in. Freddie walks into the living room and just stands there, looking a little lost. Roger has so many questions. Why is Freddie here? Where is Jim Hutton? What happened to their date?

 

Did Hutton hurt Freddie? His stomach drops and he quickly follows Freddie, trying to see if he’s hurt somewhere since Roger did not see any bruises on his face.

 

Before Roger could ask him, Freddie immediately breaks the silence. “Jim is nice. I could probably spend the rest of my life with him.”

 

Wow, what a way to break his heart. Roger can’t wait to wallow in his grief later.

 

But Freddie isn’t finished. “Do you know what we were talking about all of our date? Well, I did most of the talking. I just talked about you. I talked about that day when Romeo passed away, about you being such a good dad to our babies, about you taking my calls at three in the morning because I couldn’t sleep, about you holding my hand proudly while the paparazzi were hounding us and--” he abruptly stops.

 

Then he confesses quietly, “You once told me you love me and that you’ve been very patient with me. Well, I feel the same way about you. But in a romantic way. And I’ve been very patient with you for the past two years.”

 

Two years.

 

Two years since Dominique left him.

 

Two years since he started to spend almost every day with Freddie, because he keeps telling himself that he hates being alone and lonely.

 

Two years of him lying to himself because Roger might have been a little in love with Freddie and unconsciously seeking out his love and comfort.

 

And it took him two years until now to finally realise he is utterly in love with Freddie Mercury.

 

Roger thinks it’s now or never. He reaches out and kisses Freddie tenderly. Freddie tilts his head and allows Roger to slip his tongue in, and stroke the inside of his mouth. Freddie moans into their kiss and Roger pulls him closer. Freddie tastes like red wine and something earthy and sweet, that makes Roger wonder how he might’ve lived the rest of his life without this.

 

He brushes Freddie’s cheek affectionately when they finally pull away.

 

“I’m sorry to have made you wait this long. What can I do to make up for my lateness?”

 

Freddie looks at him with enamoured eyes, leans towards him, and murmurs, “You can kiss me again.”

 

Roger does not need to be told twice.

 

-

 

A few days later, there is a huge fruit basket and a bouquet of flowers signed by Roger Taylor and Freddie Mercury that the mailman has a hard time trying to fit through the door of Jim Hutton’s apartment.

 

Jim actually does a happy dance, because he is too excited that his favourite singer and his favourite drummer in his favourite band are officially together. From the stares he had seen the men share during interviews, and from seeing all the pictures of them holding hands in gossip magazines for the past few months, he knows there’s definitely been something going on.

 

When he met Freddie during his birthday party, he was disappointed to find out that they were not actually together. But Freddie seemed interested in him so Jim thought, why not.

 

But on their date, Jim realised Freddie was very much in love with Roger. And after listening to an entire hour of nobody but Roger, Jim concluded that Roger was also stupidly in love with Freddie. So he told Freddie right up front to get his man. Then he called a cab to bring Freddie to Roger’s house and wished him luck. Freddie had thanked him with a kiss.

 

Jim hopes that in the future, if there’s going to be a wedding, illegal or not, they’d better invite him.

 

-

 

They are having their breakfast, and getting ready to go to Wembley for Live Aid, when Freddie suddenly decides that they should go out earlier to visit his parents first.

 

“You want me to meet your parents as officially your significant other?”

 

“You’ve met them before just as my best friend and band mate so this time, they have to know about _us_.”

 

“Have they seen pictures of us in the gossip papers?” 

 

“I don’t think so. My parents aren’t into that rubbish.”

 

Roger has no problem of Freddie’s parents seeing him holding hands with their son. It’s the pictures of him giving middle fingers that should not be seen by any potential _parents-in-laws_.

 

Roger thinks he is going to hyperventilate in a matter of seconds. Freddie kisses him and Roger immediately calms down.

 

Freddie leans back and gives him a comforting smile.

 

“Relax, my love. Ma already likes you from last time. Papa will be a bit difficult, though.”

 

“Oh my god.” Roger wonders if Mr Bulsara will accept him, or is going to murder him once they arrive at the Bulsara’s house.

 

Freddie suddenly looks serious. “Okay, there is something else you need to know.”

 

Roger feels lead in his stomach.

 

“Anastasia is pregnant. I think the neighbour’s cat got her--”

 

“I am going to find that bugger and fucking kill him!”

 

-

-

-

**Author's Note:**

> _Interviewer: So, you guys thinking about kids?_   
>  _Roger and Freddie, at the same time: we have 85_
> 
> by [Sjaak](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sjaak/pseuds/Sjaak).
> 
>  
> 
> I hope everyone enjoy reading it as much as I had fun writing this oneshot. So leave a comment and tell me what you think. I looooove comments! Don’t forget to click the kudos button too! Thank you so much!!! To Sjaak, I hope you love this, darling!


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